KR20210104910A - Mobile Computing Device With Modal Antenna - Google Patents

Abstract

A mobile computing device including a modal antenna is disclosed. The mobile computing device may include a radio frequency circuitry and a modal antenna mechanically coupled to a portion of the mobile computing at a location remote from the radio frequency circuitry. A modal antenna may include a driven element and a parasitic element positioned proximate to the driven element. The modal antenna may be operable in a plurality of different modes. Each mode may be associated with a different radiation pattern. The mobile computing device may include a transmission line that couples the radio frequency circuitry to the modal antenna. The radio frequency circuitry may be configured to transmit an RF signal over the transmission line to the modal antenna, and may be configured to communicate a control signal to adjust a mode of the modal antenna over the transmission line.

Description

Mobile Computing Device With Modal Antenna

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 62/799,071 entitled "Mobile Computing Device With Modal Antenna", filed January 31, 2019, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Exemplary aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of antenna control, eg, control of modal antennas configured to operate in a plurality of different modes.

Modal antennas are increasingly used in wireless communications, for example in smartphone handsets. These antennas typically offer improved signal quality and a more compact form factor than traditional passive antennas. One modal antenna configuration includes a parasitic element configured to alter a radiation pattern associated with the drive element. In this configuration, the first transmission line may connect the driven element with a circuit configured to drive the driven element. A separate transmission line may connect the parasitic elements and circuitry configured to change the modal characteristics of the modal antenna.

Aspects and advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure are set forth in part in the description that follows, may be learned from the description, or may be learned through practice of the embodiments.

Exemplary aspects of the present disclosure relate to a mobile computing device that includes a modal antenna. The mobile computing device may include a radio frequency circuitry and a modal antenna mechanically coupled to a portion of the mobile computing at a location remote from the radio frequency circuitry. A modal antenna may include a driven element and a parasitic element positioned proximate to the driven element. The modal antenna may be operable in a plurality of different modes. Each mode may be associated with a different radiation pattern. The mobile computing device may include a transmission line that couples the radio frequency circuitry to the modal antenna. The radio frequency circuit may be configured to transmit an RF signal over the transmission line to the modal antenna, and may be configured to communicate a control signal to adjust a mode of the modal antenna over the transmission line.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of various embodiments will be better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles involved.

Detailed description of embodiments to those of ordinary skill in the art is set forth in the specification with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
1A shows an embodiment of a modal antenna 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
1B illustrates a two-dimensional antenna radiation pattern associated with the modal antenna of FIG. 1A.
1C illustrates an exemplary frequency plot of the modal antenna of FIG. 1A in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
2 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary antenna system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;
3 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary control circuit of an antenna system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;
4 shows a series of temporal alignment charts showing simplified examples of amplitude-shift keying modulation and on-off keying modulation.
5 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary tuning circuit of an antenna system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;
6 shows a schematic diagram of an antenna system in which a control signal is modulated into an RF signal and transmitted to a modal antenna through a transmission line according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure;
7 shows a schematic diagram of an antenna system in which a control signal is transmitted to a modal antenna through a control line separated from a transmission line according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure;
8A shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a mobile computing device in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.
8B shows a schematic diagram of the mobile computing device of FIG. 8A .
8C shows a perspective view of a hinge member of the mobile computing device of FIGS. 8A and 8B .
9 illustrates an embodiment of a mobile computing device that includes a modal antenna mechanically coupled to a hinge member of the mobile computing device.
10 illustrates another embodiment of a mobile computing device that includes a modal antenna mechanically coupled to a display screen support member of the mobile computing device.
11 illustrates another embodiment of a mobile computing device that includes a modal antenna mechanically coupled to a display screen support member of the mobile computing device.
12 is a flow diagram of a method for controlling a modal antenna of a mobile computing device in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.
Repeat use of reference numerals in this specification and drawings is intended to represent the same or similar features or elements of the present invention.

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided for illustrative purposes only, not for limiting the present invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the embodiments without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used in conjunction with another embodiment to create another embodiment. Accordingly, aspects of the present disclosure are intended to cover such modifications and variations.

Exemplary aspects of the present disclosure relate to systems and methods for controlling a modal antenna of a mobile computing device. The mobile computing device may include one or more modal antennas mechanically coupled (eg, physically supported) to a member of the mobile computing device. The mobile computing device may include radio frequency circuitry and a modal antenna mechanically coupled to a portion of the mobile computing device at a location remote from the radio frequency circuitry. For example, the mobile computing device may be a laptop. The modal antenna(s) may be coupled to a hinge member of the laptop that is coupled to each of the body and display screen support member. In another embodiment, the modal antenna(s) may be coupled to the display support member and the radio frequency circuitry may be coupled to the body. In another embodiment, each of the modal antenna(s) and radio frequency circuitry may be coupled to the body.

A modal antenna may include a driven element and a parasitic element positioned proximate to the driven element. The radio frequency circuitry may be configured to change an electrical characteristic of the parasitic element, thereby operating the modal antenna in a plurality of different modes. The radio frequency circuit may be configured to transmit an RF signal to the modal antenna over the transmission line and to adjust the mode of the modal antenna. The radio frequency circuitry may be configured to communicate a control signal to tune the mode of the modal antenna over the transmission line.

In some embodiments, a mobile computing device may include a display screen support member, a body, and a hinge member pivotally coupled to each of the display screen support member and body. The modal antenna may be coupled to the hinge member.

In some embodiments, the mobile computing device may include an additional modal antenna coupled to the hinge member. The hinge member may extend in the longitudinal direction and may have a length in the longitudinal direction (or may include an elongate member that extends in the longitudinal direction). The modal antenna may be spaced apart from the additional modal antenna by a separation distance in the longitudinal direction. The ratio of the length of the hinge member to the separation distance may be less than about 3.

In some embodiments, the mobile computing device may include a laptop computer.

In some embodiments, a mobile computing device may include a body and a display screen support member pivotally coupled to the body. The modal antenna may be coupled to the display screen support member.

In some embodiments, radio frequency circuitry may be coupled to the body.

In some embodiments, the member may include a display screen support member that includes a display screen. The modal antenna may be coupled to the display screen support member at a bezel portion of the display screen support member between the perimeter of the display screen and the perimeter of the display screen support member.

In some embodiments, a mobile computing device may include a display screen support member and a body pivotally coupled to the display screen support member. The modal antenna may be coupled to the body.

In some embodiments, the mobile computing device may include an additional modal antenna. The display screen support member is pivotable in the longitudinal direction with respect to the body. The body may have a body width in the longitudinal direction. The modal antenna may be spaced apart from the additional modal antenna by a separation distance in the longitudinal direction. The ratio of the body width to the separation distance may be less than about 3.

In some embodiments, the transmission line may be a single coaxial cable.

In some embodiments, the radio frequency circuitry may include a front end module configured to transmit an RF signal to the modal antenna and a control circuit configured to adjust a mode of the modal antenna.

In some embodiments, the mobile computing device may include a host processor. The radio frequency circuitry may be configured to receive data from the host processor over a first connection for transmission over an RF signal, and to receive a control command over a second connection to adjust a mode of the modal antenna. . The second connection may be distinct from the first connection.

In some embodiments, the mobile computing device may include additional transmission lines and additional modal antennas. The additional modal antenna may include a driven element and a parasitic element positioned proximate to the driven element. The additional modal antenna may operate in a plurality of different modes. Each mode may be associated with a different radiation pattern. The radio frequency circuitry may be configured to transmit the additional RF signal to the additional modal antenna via the additional transmission line, and to adjust the mode of the additional modal antenna.

In some embodiments, the mobile computing device may include a tuning circuit configured to control an electrical characteristic associated with a parasitic element of the modal antenna to operate the modal antenna in a plurality of different modes. The radio frequency circuitry may include control circuitry, the control circuitry being configured to modulate the control signal into an RF signal to generate a transmission signal for communication over the transmission line to the tuning circuitry. The tuning circuit demodulates the control signal so that the radio frequency circuit can tune the mode of the modal antenna via the control signal.

In some embodiments, the mobile computing device may include an additional modal antenna comprising a driven element and a parasitic element positioned proximate to the driven element. The additional modal antenna may operate in a plurality of different modes. Each mode may be associated with a different radiation pattern. The additional tuning circuit may be configured to control electrical characteristics associated with parasitic elements of the additional modal antenna to operate the additional modal antenna in a plurality of different modes. An additional transmission line connects the radio frequency circuitry to the additional modal antenna. The control circuitry of the radio frequency circuit may be configured to modulate the additional control signal with the additional RF signal to generate the additional transmission signal for communication via the additional transmission line to the additional tuning circuit. The additional tuning circuit may be configured to demodulate the additional control signal, such that the radio frequency circuitry may tune the mode of the additional modal antenna via the additional control signal.

In some embodiments, the front end module may be configured to modulate the control signal to an RF signal using amplitude shift keying modulation.

Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a laptop computer, comprising a hinge member, a body pivotally coupled to the hinge member, and a display screen support member pivotally coupled to the hinge member. The laptop computer may include radio frequency circuitry. A modal antenna may be coupled to the hinge member and may include a driven element and a parasitic element positioned proximate the driven element. A modal antenna may operate in a plurality of different modes. Each mode may be associated with a different radiation pattern. The laptop computer may include a transmission line connecting the radio frequency circuitry to the modal antenna. The radio frequency circuitry may be configured to transmit an RF signal to the modal antenna over the transmission line, and may be configured to adjust a mode of the modal antenna.

In some embodiments, the radio frequency circuitry may be configured to modulate the control signal to an RF signal to generate a transmission signal for communication over the transmission line to tune the mode of the modal antenna via the control signal.

In some embodiments, the laptop computer may include a tuning circuit configured to control an electrical characteristic associated with a parasitic element of the modal antenna to operate the modal antenna in a plurality of different modes. The radio frequency circuitry may include control circuitry, which may modulate the control signal into an RF signal to generate a transmission signal for communicating via a transmission line to the tuning circuitry. The tuning circuit may be configured to demodulate the control signal such that the radio frequency circuit may tune the mode of the modal antenna via the control signal.

In some embodiments, a laptop computer may include a host processor, tuning circuitry configured to control electrical characteristics associated with parasitic elements of the modal antenna to operate the modal antenna in a plurality of different modes, and an additional modal antenna. The laptop computer may include additional tuning circuitry configured to control electrical characteristics associated with parasitic elements of the additional modal antenna to operate the additional modal antenna in a plurality of different modes. A control line may connect the host processor to the tuning circuit. Additional control lines may connect the tuning circuit to the additional tuning circuit. The host processor may be configured to send each of the control signal and the additional control signal via the control line to the tuning circuit. The tuning circuit may be configured to transmit additional control signals to the additional tuning circuit via the additional control line.

In some embodiments, the laptop computer may include an additional modal antenna coupled to the hinge member. The display screen support member is pivotable in the longitudinal direction with respect to the hinge member. The hinge member may extend in the longitudinal direction and may have a length in the longitudinal direction. The modal antenna may be spaced apart from the additional modal antenna by a separation distance in the longitudinal direction. The ratio of the length of the hinge member to the separation distance may be less than about 3.

In some embodiments, the laptop computer may include an additional modal antenna coupled to the hinge member and operatively coupled to the radio frequency circuitry. The additional modal antenna may include a driven element and a parasitic element positioned proximate to the driven element. The additional modal antenna may operate in a plurality of different modes. Each mode may be associated with a different radiation pattern. The radio frequency circuitry may be configured to transmit the additional RF signal to the additional modal antenna and adjust the mode of the additional modal antenna.

In some embodiments, the laptop computer may include tuning circuitry configured to control electrical characteristics associated with parasitic elements of the modal antenna to operate the modal antenna in a plurality of different modes. The transmission line may connect radio frequency circuitry to the modal antenna. The radio frequency circuitry may be configured to modulate the control signal into an RF signal to generate a transmission signal for communicating via a transmission line to the tuning circuitry. The tuning circuit may demodulate the control signal so that the radio frequency circuit may tune the mode of the modal antenna via the control signal.

Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a hinge member for a laptop configured to pivotally engage the body member with a display screen support member of the laptop. The hinge member may include a first modal antenna coupled to the hinge member. The first modal antenna may include a driven element and a parasitic element positioned proximate the driven element. The first modal antenna may be operable in a plurality of different modes. Each mode may be associated with a different radiation pattern. A second modal antenna may be coupled to the hinge member, the second modal antenna comprising a driven element and a parasitic element positioned proximate the driven element. The second modal antenna is operable in a plurality of different modes, each mode associated with a different radiation pattern. The first modal antenna may be spaced apart from the second modal antenna.

1A illustrates an embodiment of a modal antenna 10 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The modal antenna 10 may include a circuit board 12 (eg, including a ground plane) and a driven antenna element 14 disposed on the circuit board 12 . The first parasitic element 15 may be positioned proximate the driven antenna element 14 . For example, the first parasitic element 15 may be positioned such that the current of the first parasitic element 15 affects the radiation pattern of the driven element. For example, an antenna volume may be defined between a circuit board (eg, a ground plane) and the driven antenna element 14 . The first parasitic element 15 may be located at least partially within the antenna volume.

A first active tuning element 16 may be coupled with a parasitic element 15 . The first active tuning element 16 may be a passive component or an active component or series of components and may be configured to vary the reactance on the first parasitic element 14, through a variable reactance or short circuit to ground of the antenna. It can cause a frequency shift.

In some embodiments, the second parasitic element 18 may be disposed adjacent the circuit board 12 and driven such that a current in the second parasitic element 18 may affect the radiation pattern of the driven element. It may be disposed proximate to element 14 . The second parasitic element 18 may be located outside of the antenna volume. The driven element 14 may have a width 19 . The second parasitic element 18 may be spaced apart from the driven element 14 by a separation distance 21 . The ratio of the width 19 of the driven element 14 to the separation distance 21 can range from about 0.2 to about 10, in some embodiments from about 0.5 to about 8, and in some embodiments from about 1 to about 8. It may have a range of about 5.

The second parasitic element 18 may further include a second active tuning element 20 , which may individually include one or more active and/or passive components. The second parasitic element 18 may be located adjacent the driven element 14 and may also be located outside the antenna volume.

The described configuration may provide the ability to shift the radiation pattern characteristics of a driven antenna element by changing the reactance. Shifting the antenna radiation pattern may be referred to as "beam steering." If the antenna radiation pattern contains nulls, a similar operation may be referred to as "null steering," since the nulls can be moved to an alternate position relative to the antenna (e.g., to reduce interference). ). In some embodiments, the second active tuning element 20 may include a switch for connecting the second parasitic element to ground when “on” and terminating a short when “off”. However, it should be noted that a variable reactance for either the first or second parasitic element, which is possible, for example, by using a variable capacitor or other tunable component, may result in a variable shifting to the antenna pattern or frequency response. can be provided additionally. For example, the first active tuning element 16 and/or the second active tuning element 18 may be at least one of a tunable capacitor, a MEMS device, a tunable inductor, a switch, a tunable phase shifter, a field effect transistor, or a diode. may contain one.

1B illustrates a two-dimensional antenna radiation pattern associated with the modal antenna of FIG. 1A. The radiation pattern may be shifted (or 'shifted') by controlling an electrical characteristic associated with at least one of the first and second parasitic elements 16 , 18 of the modal antenna 10 . For example, in some embodiments the radiation pattern may be shifted from the first mode 22 to the second mode 24 or the third mode 26 .

1C illustrates an example frequency plot of the modal antenna of FIG. 1A in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure. The frequency of the antenna may be shifted by controlling the electrical characteristics associated with at least one of the first or second parasitic elements 16 , 18 of the modal antenna 10 . For example, a first frequency f ₀ of the antenna may be obtained when the first and second parasitic elements are switched "off": frequencies f _L and f _H are determined when the second parasitic element is may be generated when shorted to ground: a frequency f ₄ ; f ₀ may be generated when the first and second parasitic elements are each shorted to ground. It should be understood that other configurations are possible within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, more or fewer parasitic elements may be used. The positioning of the parasitic elements may be altered to obtain additional modes that may represent different frequencies and/or combinations of frequencies.

1A-1C show exemplary modal antennas having multiple modes for purposes of illustration and discussion. Using the disclosure provided herein, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that other modal antennas and/or antenna configurations may be used without departing from the scope of the disclosure. As used herein, the term “modal antenna” refers to an antenna capable of operating in a plurality of modes, where each mode is associated with a distinct radiation pattern.

2 shows a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an antenna system 100 in accordance with exemplary aspects of the present disclosure. The antenna system 100 may include a modal antenna 102 . The modal antenna 102 may include a driven element 104 and a parasitic element 106 positioned proximate the driven element 104 . The modal antenna 102 may be operable in a plurality of different modes, each mode may be associated with a different radiation pattern, eg, as described above with reference to FIGS. 1A-1C .

The tuning circuit 108 may be configured to control electrical characteristics associated with the parasitic element 106 to operate the modal antenna 102 in a plurality of different modes. 4 and 5, the tuning circuit 108 may be configured to demodulate a control signal from a transmission signal and based on control commands associated with the control signal, a parasitic element ( 106).

The tunable component 110 may be coupled with a parasitic element 106 , and the tuning circuit 108 may be configured to modify the tunable component 110 to change an electrical connection between the parasitic element 106 and a voltage or current source or sink. may be configured to control (eg, coupling parasitic element 106 with ground).

The radio frequency circuitry 112 may be configured to transmit an RF signal to the driven element 104 of the modal antenna 102 . For example, the transmission line 114 may couple the radio frequency circuitry 112 to the modal antenna 102 . In some embodiments, the transmission line 114 may be a single coaxial cable. The radio frequency circuitry 112 may be configured to amplify or otherwise generate an RF signal, which is transmitted via a transmission line 114 (as a component of the transmission signal) to the driven element 104 of the modal antenna 102 . is sent to

In some embodiments, the radio frequency circuitry 112 may include a front end module 116 and/or control circuitry 118 . The front end module 116 may be configured to generate and/or amplify an RF signal that is transmitted to a driven device. Control circuitry 118 may be configured to modulate the control signal to an RF signal using a variety of suitable modulation techniques. For example, in some embodiments control circuitry 118 may RF control the control signal using amplitude-shift keying modulation to generate a transmit signal, for example, as described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 4 , for example. It may be configured to modulate with a signal.

The transmission line 114 may be coupled with various components (eg, using a bias tee circuit) configured to aid in coupling and/or separation of signals occupying various frequency bands. For example, the first bias tee circuit 120 may connect the front end module 116 and the control circuit 118 to the transmission line 114 . The first bias tee circuit 120 includes a capacitor 122 connecting the transmission line 114 with the front end module 116 and an inductor 124 connecting the control unit 118 with the transmission line 114 . . The second bias tee circuit 126 may connect the driven element 104 and the tuning circuit 108 to the transmission line 114 . The second bias tee circuit 126 includes a capacitor 128 connecting the transmission line 114 to the driven element 104 and an inductor 130 connecting the transmission line 114 to the tuning circuit 108 . .

The front-end module 116 may transmit an RF signal through the capacitor 122 of the first bias tee circuit 120 . The control circuit 118 may generate a control signal on the transmission line 114 by modulating the control signal into an RF signal through the inductor 124 of the first bias tee circuit 120 . The tuning circuit 108 may demodulate the control signal from the transmission signal through the inductor 130 of the second bias tee circuit 126 . The RF signal component of the transmission signal may be transmitted to the driven element 104 of the modal antenna 102 via the capacitor 128 of the second bias tee circuit 126 .

In some embodiments, the antenna system 100 may include a first circuit board 129 and a second circuit board 131 physically separated from the first circuit board 129 . The radio frequency circuit 112 may be disposed on the first circuit board 129 , and at least one of the tuning circuit 108 or the modal antenna 102 may be disposed on the second circuit board 131 . This may allow the radio frequency circuitry 112 to be physically separated from the tuning circuitry and/or the modal antenna 102 without using multiple transmission lines and without adversely affecting the operation of the antenna system 100 .

In some embodiments, the RF signal may be defined within a first frequency band, and the control signal may be defined within a second frequency band that is distinct from the first frequency band. For example, the first frequency band may range from about 500 MHz to about 50 GHz, in some embodiments from about 1 GHz to about 25 GHz, and from about 2 GHz to about 7 GHz (eg, about 5 GHz) in some embodiments. The second frequency band ranges from about 10 MHz to about 1 GHz, in some embodiments from about 20 MHz to about 800 MHz, in some embodiments from about 30 MHz to about 500 MHz, and in some embodiments from about 50 MHz to about 250 MHz (e.g., about 100 MHz). can be

3 illustrates a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a control circuit 118 of the antenna system 100 illustrated in FIG. 2 . The control circuit 118 may include a processor 132 , which may change the mode of the modal antenna 102 (shown in FIG. 2 ) or otherwise change the mode of the modal antenna 102 's radiation pattern. and may be configured to generate or receive a control command to adjust a direction or frequency. For example, processor 132 may receive a control command from another processor (represented by HOST in FIG. 3 ) and generate an output that includes _{data describing the commands (represented by DATA N in FIG. 3 ).} can The data may have an appropriate bit depth. For example, in some embodiments the data may be in binary format. In other embodiments, the data may be in hexadecimal format, decimal format, or the like.

The control circuit 118 may also include a carrier signal source 134 . In some embodiments, the carrier signal source 134 may be configured to generate a carrier signal comprising a sine wave, which may have a generally constant frequency. In other embodiments, the carrier signal may be or include any suitable signal. For example, in some embodiments, the carrier signal may be or include any suitable repeating pattern, but is not limited to being sinusoidal or having a generally constant frequency.

The control circuit 118 may also include a modulator 136 configured to modulate the output of the processor with a carrier signal to generate a control signal ( _{denoted TX CH N in FIG. 3 ).} The modulator 136 may include a multiplexer 138 , which outputs from a carrier signal source 134 and an output containing _{data (denoted as DATA N in FIG. 3 ) that may describe a control command.} and combine carrier signals. For example, by performing amplitude shift keying modulation (eg, on-off keying modulation), modulator 136 generates a control signal, as described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 4 , for example. to scale the amplitude of the carrier signal from the carrier signal source 134 . The modulator 136 may also include an amplifier 140 and a bias tee circuit 142 .

4 shows a series of temporal alignment charts 400 representing simplified examples of amplitude-shift keying modulation and on-off keying modulation. The binary signal 401 may alternate between a first voltage level 402 and a second voltage level 404 in a manner that describes a binary data set. Binary signal 401 may correspond to a simplified example of the output of processor 132 , which may include data describing control commands, for example as described above with reference to FIG. 3 . Amplitude-shift keying modulation may include representing the binary signal 401 by representing the first voltage level 402 as a sinusoidal signal 406 having a variable amplitude. For example, the sinusoidal signal 406 may have a first amplitude 408 representing a first voltage 402 of the binary signal 401 and representing a second voltage level 404 of the binary signal 401 . It may have a second amplitude 410 .

On-off keying modulation is a type of amplitude shift modulation. In on-off keying modulation, the binary signal 401 may be represented by a sinusoidal signal 411 having a variable amplitude. The sinusoidal signal 411 may have a first amplitude 412 representing a first voltage level 402 of the binary signal 401 . However, the second voltage level 404 can be represented by the absence of the sinusoidal signal 406 . That is, the sinusoidal signal 406 may have an amplitude of about zero to represent the second voltage 404 of the binary signal 401 .

FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a tuning circuit 500 , eg, corresponding to the tuning circuit 108 discussed above with reference to FIG. 3 , in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The tuning circuit 500 may include a demodulator 502 and a bias 504 . The demodulator 502 may include a bias tee circuit 506 coupled with a bias 504 , and a multiplexer 507 coupled with a communication line 114 (shown in FIG. 2 ).

The tuning circuit 500 may also include a low pass filter 508 configured to filter at least one frequency band. For example, the low pass filter 508 may be configured to filter at least one frequency band that is higher than a frequency of the carrier signal frequency. As such, the low pass filter 508 may separate or relatively increase the strength of the carrier signal frequency. The demodulator 502 may also include a diode 510, such as a Zener diode. The diode 510 may be coupled with a logic circuit 512 configured to interpret a control command associated with (eg, contained therein) the control signal.

Logic circuitry 512 (eg, a processor configured to execute computer readable instructions to implement logical operations, ASICS, etc.) may also be based on control instructions associated with (eg, contained therein) the control signal. to control the operation of the switch. The switch 514 may be coupled to ground and configured to switch between a plurality of states. For example, switch 514 may selectively connect output 516 of switch 514 with ground or otherwise change the electrical connection of output 516, such that parasitic element 106 (shown in FIG. 2) and control the electrical characteristics associated with the modal antenna and operate the modal antenna in a plurality of different modes. For example, switch 514 can be configured to change the electrical connection of parasitic element 106 with a source or sink (eg, voltage source/sink or current source/sink) tunable component 110 (FIG. illustrated) may be configured to coordinate the operation of For example, switch 514 may be configured to selectively couple parasitic element 106 with ground.

Frequency drift, the relative difference between the two clock frequencies, may occur between a local clock frequency associated with the tuning circuitry 108 , 500 and a clock frequency associated with the control circuitry (eg, a master clock frequency). To minimize frequency drift, the tuning circuitry 108 , 500 may be configured to synchronize the local clock frequency with the master clock frequency.

As an example, a first clock frequency may be associated with the transmission signal, and the tuning circuit 500 may be configured to synchronize a local clock frequency associated with the tuning circuit 500 with the first frequency. The first clock frequency may correspond to (eg, equal to or a multiple of) the frequency of the carrier signal generated by the sine wave source 134 or other harmonic source associated with the control circuitry 118 . For example, the first clock frequency may be present in portions of the control signal having a non-zero amplitude.

Tuning circuit 500 (eg, logic circuit 512 ) includes a tunable frequency source, such as a locally tunable harmonic oscillator (eg, a ring oscillator) configured to provide a local clock frequency associated with tuning circuit 500 . can do. Logic circuitry 512 may be configured to sample a signal received by logic circuitry 512 (eg, from diode 510 ) and perform a frequency search operation on the signal. The frequency search operation may determine an appropriate sampling frequency. For example, logic circuit 512 may sample a control signal (or a regulated version thereof output by diode 510 ) over a period of time corresponding to an expected phrase. The prediction phrase may include a signal pattern expected to be present in the control signal. For example, the predictive phrase may be provided as a "preamble" or "postamble" at the beginning and/or end of one or more transmitted data "frames". Logic circuitry 512 may be configured to recognize or detect predictive phrases to find the start and/or end of frame(s). Logic circuit 512 then, based on the prediction phrase, determines the phase measured by the number of local oscillator “clock edges” present in the sample compared to the number of local oscillator “clock edges” expected to be present in the sample. error can be determined.

Next, the logic circuit 512 may perform a frequency search operation. For example, a frequency search operation can be performed to account for phase error by (1) sampling over a period of time corresponding to the length of the expected phrase, (2) comparing the number of expected clock edges with the number of clock edges present in the sample. determining, and (3) repeating the steps of adjusting the local clock frequency (eg, the frequency of the local oscillator) until the local clock frequency is sufficiently synchronized with the master clock frequency associated with the control circuit 118 . can do. For example, the local clock frequency may be determined to be sufficiently synchronized when the phase error is less than a threshold (eg, a predetermined threshold).

In some embodiments, the tuning circuit may use a numerically controlled oscillator configured to count data edge transitions of a signal received by the tuning circuit. If the number of data edge transitions is out of an expected range (eg, a predetermined range), the tuning circuit may reject or ignore the relevant data frame. If the count of data edge transitions is within the expected range, the tuning circuit may adjust a frequency (eg, a local clock frequency) associated with an internal oscillator of the tuning circuit. For example, the tuning circuit may be configured to increase or decrease the internal oscillator frequency to compensate for drift between the internal oscillator frequency of the tuning circuit and a clock or oscillator frequency associated with the RF circuit and/or control circuit, which may This may occur during normal operation.

6 illustrates another embodiment, which is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an antenna system 600 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The antenna system 600 may be configured generally similar to the antenna system 100 described above with reference to FIG. 2 . For example, the antenna system 600 may include a modal antenna 602 including a driven element 604 and a parasitic element 606 , a tuning circuit 608 , an RF circuit 612 , a transmission line 614 , a front End module 616 , control circuit 618 , first bias tee circuit 620 including capacitor 622 and inductor 624 , and second bias tee circuit including capacitor 628 and inductor 630 . (626).

The antenna system 600 may also include a second modal antenna 632 including a driven element 634 and a parasitic element 636 . The second tuning circuit 638 may be configured to control electrical characteristics associated with the parasitic element 636 to operate the modal antenna 632 in a plurality of different modes. For example, the second tunable component 640 may be coupled with a parasitic element 636 , and the tuning circuit 638 may be a voltage or current source, such as by coupling the parasitic element 106 to ground. or to control the second tunable component 640 to change an electrical connection between the sink and the parasitic element 636 of the second modal antenna 632 .

The radio frequency circuit 612 may include a second front end module 642 and a second transmission line 644 . The second front end module 642 may be configured to generate and/or amplify a second RF signal. The control circuit 618 may be configured to modulate the second control signal with a second RF signal to generate a second transmit signal. In some embodiments, the control circuit 618 may modulate the second control signal to a second RF signal using amplitude-shift keying modulation, for example as described above with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 . .

The second transmission line 644 may be coupled with various components using a bias tee configured to aid in coupling and/or separation of signals occupying various frequency bands. For example, the third bias tee circuit 646 can couple the second front end module 642 and the control circuit 618 with the second transmission line 644 . The third bias tee circuit 646 includes a capacitor 648 coupling the second front end module 642 with the second transmission line 644 and an inductor coupling the control unit 618 with the second transmission line 644 . (650).

The fourth bias tee circuit 652 may couple the second transmission line 644 with the driven element 634 of the second modal antenna 632 and the tuning circuit 108 . The fourth bias tee circuit 652 second tunes the second transmission line 644 and the capacitor 654 coupling the second transmission line 644 and the driven element 634 of the second modal antenna 632 . It may include an inductor 656 for coupling with circuit 638 .

The second front end module 642 may transmit a second RF signal through the capacitor 648 of the third bias tee circuit 646 . The control circuit 618 may generate a second transmission signal by modulating the second control signal into a second RF signal through the inductor 650 of the third bias tee circuit 646 . The second tuning circuit 638 may demodulate the control signal from the second transmission signal through the inductor 656 of the fourth bias tee circuit 652 . The RF signal component of the second transmission signal may be transmitted to the driven element 634 of the second modal antenna 632 through the capacitor 654 of the fourth bias tee circuit 652 .

In such an embodiment, the control circuit 618 may have a separate output associated with each transmission line 614 , 644 . The control circuit 618 may be configured similarly to the control circuit 118 described above with reference to FIG. 3 and may include additional components configured to provide a separate output to the second transmission line 644 . For example, the control circuit 618 may include a second processor 132 , a sine wave source 134 , a modulator 136 , a multiplexer 138 , an amplifier 140 and/or a bias tee circuit such that a second output is provided. 142) may be included.

In some embodiments, the antenna system may include a plurality of antennas in a multiple-in-multiple-out (MIMO) configuration. Multiple pairs of control circuits and multiple pairs of tuning circuits may be configured to control multiple modal antennas as well as multiple passive antennas. For example, the antenna system may include N tuning circuits (each paired with a respective control circuit) configured to control the operation of the M modal antennas and (NM) passive antennas, where N and M are each positive integers, and N is greater than or equal to M. Additionally, in some embodiments, one control circuit may include multiple outputs and may be paired with multiple tuning circuits, for example as described with reference to FIG. 6 . In any event, the number N of tuning circuits can range from any suitable numeric range. For example, in some embodiments, N may range from 2 to 20 or more. M can also range from 2 to 20 or more.

It should be understood that many modifications are possible within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, in other embodiments, a separate control circuit may be associated with each transmission line 614 , 644 . Also, in other embodiments, a single front end module may be configured to generate each RF signal. In some embodiments, a single tuning circuit may be configured to control an electrical characteristic associated with a parasitic element of each modal antenna of the system. Moreover, in some embodiments, the system may include more than two modal antennas. Additionally, in some embodiments, the system may include a combination of one or more modal antennas and one or more non-modal or passive antennas that are not configured to operate in a plurality of modes. In some embodiments, one or more modal antennas may include more than one parasitic element. One control circuit may be configured to control an electrical characteristic associated with the parasitic elements and adjust each tunable element associated with the parasitic elements to operate the modal antenna in a plurality of different modes. In another embodiment, multiple control circuits may be used to individually adjust the tunable elements. It should be understood that other variations, modifications, combinations, etc. are possible within the scope of the present disclosure.

7 illustrates another embodiment of an antenna system 700 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The antenna system 700 includes a first modal antenna 702 , a second modal antenna 704 (eg, an additional modal antenna), a first tuning circuit 706 and a second tuning circuit 708 , and an RF circuitry. 710 may be included. The first modal antenna 702 may include a driven element 712 , a parasitic element 714 , and a tunable element 716 . The second modal antenna 704 may include a driven element 718 , a parasitic element 720 , and a tunable element 722 . The RF circuit 710 may be configured to transmit a first RF signal to the first modal antenna 702 via the first transmission line 721 . The RF circuitry 710 may be configured to communicate a second RF signal to the second modal antenna 704 via a second transmission line 723 .

The antenna system 700 may include a host processor 724 (eg, a central processing unit) and a control line 726 connecting the host processor 724 to the first tuning circuit 706 . An additional control line 728 may connect the first tuning circuit 706 to the second tuning circuit 708 . The host processor 724 may be configured to send each of the control signal and the additional control signal to the first tuning circuit 706 via the control line 726 . To operate the modal antenna 702 in a plurality of different modes of the modal antenna 702 based on the control signal, the first tuning circuit 706 configures an electrical characteristic associated with the parasitic element 714 of the modal antenna 702 . (eg, using the tunable component 716 ) may be configured to control (eg, using the tunable component 716 ). The first tuning circuit 706 may be configured to send additional control signals to the second tuning circuit 708 via the additional control line 728 . In order to operate the additional modal antenna 704 in a plurality of different modes of the additional modal antenna 704 based on the additional control signal, the additional control circuit 708 is configured with a parasitic element 720 of the additional modal antenna 704 and It can be configured to control an associated electrical characteristic (eg, using a tunable component 722).

8A and 8B show perspective and schematic diagrams of an embodiment of a mobile computing device 800 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. 8C is a perspective view of the hinge member 834 of FIGS. 8A and 8B . Mobile computing device 800 may be or include a laptop computer. However, in other embodiments, mobile computing device 800 may be or include any suitable type of mobile computing device, such as a smartphone, tablet, or the like.

Referring to FIG. 8B , the mobile computing device 800 may include a printed circuit board 830 and a radio frequency circuit 810 coupled to the printed circuit board 830 . The mobile computing device 800 includes a host processor 824 (eg, a central processing unit) and a power supply unit 832 .

Referring to FIG. 8A , the mobile computing device 800 may include an antenna system configured as described above with reference to the antenna system 700 of FIG. 7 and may include a hinge member 834 . The body 836 may be pivotally coupled to a hinge member 834 . The display screen support member 838 may be pivotally coupled to the hinge member 834 . The printed circuit board 830 may be coupled to the body 836 . Modal antenna 802 may be operatively coupled to hinge member 834 and may be operatively coupled with radio frequency circuitry 810 ( FIG. 8B ). Modal antenna 802 may include a driven element and a parasitic element positioned proximate the driven element, and may be operable in a plurality of different modes, for example, as described above with reference to FIGS. 1A-1C . have. An additional modal antenna 804 may similarly be coupled to the hinge member 834 and operatively coupled with the radio frequency circuitry 810 ( FIG. 8B ). The additional modal antenna 804 may include a driven element and a parasitic element positioned proximate the driven element, eg, operable in a plurality of different modes as described above with reference to FIGS. 1A-1C . do.

The radio frequency circuitry 810 , the host processor 824 , and the modal antennas 802 , 804 may be configured as generally described with reference to FIG. 7 . Modal antennas 802 , 804 may be remote from radio frequency circuitry 810 . For example, modal antennas 802 , 804 may be coupled to components of a mobile computing device other than radio frequency circuitry 810 . One or more transmission lines 821 , 823 may couple radio frequency circuitry 810 with modal antennas 802 , 804 . The first transmission line 821 may couple the radio frequency circuitry 810 with the modal antenna 802 ; A second transmission line 823 may couple the radio frequency circuitry 810 with an additional modal antenna 804 . The TA control line 826 may couple the host processor 824 to the first tuning circuit 806 . An additional control line 828 may couple the first tuning circuit 806 to the second tuning circuit 808 . The host processor 824 may be configured to send each of the control signal and the additional control signal to the first tuning circuit 806 via the control line 826 . To operate the modal antenna 802 in a plurality of different modes of the modal antenna 802 based on the control signal, the first tuning circuit 806 configures electrical characteristics associated with the parasitic element 814 of the modal antenna 802 . (eg, using a tunable component 816). The first tuning circuit 806 may be configured to send additional control signals to the second tuning circuit 808 via the additional control line 828 . To operate the additional modal antenna 804 in a plurality of different modes of the additional modal antenna 804 based on the additional control signal, the additional control circuit 808 is configured to be associated with the parasitic element 820 of the additional modal antenna 804 . It may be configured to control an electrical characteristic (eg, using a tunable component 822).

9 shows another embodiment of a mobile computing device 900 that includes an antenna system. The antenna system may be configured as described with respect to FIG. 6 . Modal antenna 902 and/or additional modal antenna 904 may be coupled to hinge member 934 . Each of the body 936 and the display screen support member 938 may be pivotally coupled to a hinge member 934 . Display screen 940 may be coupled to display screen support member 938 . To operate the modal antenna 902 in a plurality of different modes of the modal antenna 902 based on the control signal, the tuning circuit 906 may be configured to control electrical characteristics associated with parasitic elements of the modal antenna 902 . have. Transmission line 926 may couple radio frequency circuitry 910 to modal antenna 902 . The radio frequency circuit 910 may be coupled to a printed circuit board 930 , which is coupled to the body 936 .

The radio frequency circuitry 910 may be configured to modulate the control signal into an RF signal to generate a transmit signal for communication via the transmit line 926 to the tuning circuit 906 . The tuning circuit 906 may be configured to demodulate the control signal such that the radio frequency circuit 910 may tune the mode of the modal antenna 902 via the control signal.

In some embodiments, the mobile computing device 900 may include an additional modal antenna 904 . To operate the additional modal antenna 904 in a plurality of different modes, the additional tuning circuit 908 may be configured to control electrical characteristics associated with parasitic elements of the additional modal antenna 904 . An additional transmission line 928 may connect the radio frequency circuitry 910 to an additional modal antenna 904 . The radio frequency circuitry 910 may modulate the additional control signals with additional RF signals to generate additional transmission signals for communication via additional transmission line 928 to the additional tuning circuitry 908 . The additional tuning circuit 908 may be configured to demodulate the additional control signal, such that the radio frequency circuit 910 may tune the mode of the additional modal antenna 904 via the additional control signal.

Hinge member 934 may extend in longitudinal direction 942 . The hinge member 934 may have a length 944 in the longitudinal direction 942 . The modal antenna 902 may be spaced apart from the additional modal antenna 904 by a separation distance 946 in the longitudinal direction 942 . The ratio of the length 944 of the hinge member 934 to the separation distance 946 may be less than about three.

10 depicts another embodiment of a mobile computing device 1000 that may be configured as generally described above with respect to the mobile computing device 900 of FIG. 9 . However, the modal antenna 1002 and the additional modal antenna 1004 of the computing device 1000 may be coupled to the display screen support member 1038 . The display screen support member 1038 may include a display screen 1040 . The modal antenna 1002 may be coupled to the display screen support member 1038 at the bezel portion 1042 of the display screen. The bezel portion 1042 may be positioned between the perimeter 1044 of the display screen 1040 and the perimeter 1046 of the display screen support member 1038 .

The display screen support member 1038 may have a width 1048 in the longitudinal direction 1050 . The modal antennas 1002 and 1004 may be spaced apart in the longitudinal direction 1050 by a separation distance 1052 . The ratio of the width 1048 of the display support member 1038 to the separation distance 1052 may be less than about three.

11 depicts another embodiment of a mobile computing device 1100 that may be configured as generally described above with respect to the mobile computing device 900 of FIG. 9 . A modal antenna 1102 and an additional modal antenna 1104 may be coupled to the body 1136 . The body 1136 may have a body width 1140 in the longitudinal direction 1142 . The modal antenna 1102 may be spaced apart from the additional modal antenna 1104 by a separation distance 1144 in the longitudinal direction 1142 . The ratio of the body width 1140 to the separation distance 1144 may be less than about three.

In some embodiments, the antenna system 700 described above with reference to FIG. 7 may be used with modal antenna(s) located in the bezel portion of the display screen support member as described above with reference to, for example, FIG. 10 , for example. It should be understood that may or may be used with the modal antenna(s) coupled to the body, for example as described above with reference to FIG. 11 .

12 shows a flow diagram of an example method 1200 for controlling a modal antenna of a mobile computing device. Those skilled in the art, using the disclosure provided herein, can omit, extend, concurrently perform, rearrange and/or modify various steps of the methods described herein in various ways without departing from the scope of the disclosure. will understand that Also, various steps (not shown) may be performed without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Additionally, method 1200 is generally discussed with reference to the antenna system described above with reference to FIGS. 2-7 and/or the mobile computing device described above with reference to FIGS. 8A-11 . However, it should be understood that aspects of the method 1200 may be applied with any suitable mobile computing device that includes a modal antenna.

The method 1200 may, at step 1202, wirelessly with a modal antenna coupled to a portion of a mobile computing device at a location remote from the radio frequency circuitry, for example, as described above with reference to FIGS. 1A-7 . communicating the RF signal from the frequency circuit. A modal antenna may be operable in a plurality of different modes, each mode may be associated with a different radiation pattern.

The method 1200 may include, at step 1204 , controlling an electrical characteristic associated with a parasitic element of the modal antenna from the radio frequency circuitry to tune the mode of the modal antenna. For example, a control signal may be transmitted from a radio frequency circuit to a tuning circuit. The control signal converts the control signal(s) to an RF signal to generate a transmission signal(s) for transmission over the transmission line, for example as described above with reference to FIGS. 2-6 and 9-11 . By modulating with (s), it can be transmitted to the tuning circuit via the transmission line(s). However, in other embodiments, the control signal may be transmitted via one or more control lines separate from the transmission line(s), for example as described with reference to FIGS. 7-8B .

It should be noted that, although this subject matter has been described in detail with reference to specific exemplary embodiments, changes, modifications and equivalents of these embodiments will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon understanding the foregoing. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure is for purposes of illustration and not limitation, and this disclosure provides for such modifications, variations and/or additions to the subject matter of the present disclosure as would be apparent to those skilled in the art. The inclusion of water is not excluded.

Claims (20)

A mobile computing device comprising:
radio frequency circuit;
A modal antenna mechanically coupled to a portion of a mobile computing device at a location remote from the radio frequency circuit, the modal antenna comprising a driven element and a parasitic element positioned proximate the driven element, the modal antenna comprising: The antenna is operable in a plurality of different modes, each mode associated with a different radiation pattern;
Transmission line connecting the radio frequency circuit to the modal antenna
including,
wherein the radio frequency circuitry is configured to transmit an RF signal to the modal antenna via a transmission line, and wherein the radio frequency circuitry is configured to communicate via the transmission line a control signal for adjusting a mode of the modal antenna. device. According to claim 1,
further comprising a display screen support member, a body, and a hinge member pivotally coupled to each of the display screen support member and the body, wherein the modal antenna is mechanically coupled to the hinge member. Characterized by a mobile computing device. 3. The method of claim 2,
an additional modal antenna mechanically coupled to the hinge member;
the hinge member extends in the longitudinal direction and has a length in the longitudinal direction;
the modal antenna is spaced apart from the additional modal antenna by a separation distance in the longitudinal direction; and
wherein the ratio of the length of the hinge member to the separation distance is less than about 3. 4. The method of claim 3,
and the radio frequency circuitry is mechanically coupled to the body. According to claim 1,
wherein the mobile computing device comprises a laptop computer. According to claim 1,
A mobile computing device, further comprising a body and a display screen support member pivotally coupled to the body, wherein the modal antenna is coupled to the display screen support member. 7. The method of claim 6,
and the radio frequency circuitry is coupled to the body. According to claim 1,
further comprising a display screen support member comprising a display screen, wherein the modal antenna is coupled to the display screen support member at a bezel portion of the display screen support member between a perimeter of the display screen and a perimeter of the display screen support member A mobile computing device, characterized in that it becomes. According to claim 1,
A mobile computing device, further comprising a display screen support member and a body pivotally coupled to the display screen support member, wherein the modal antenna is coupled to the body. 10. The method of claim 9,
Further comprising an additional modal antenna coupled to the body,
the display screen support member is pivotable about a longitudinal direction with respect to the body;
the body has a body width in a longitudinal direction;
the modal antenna is spaced apart from the additional modal antenna by a separation distance in the longitudinal direction;
wherein the ratio of body width to separation distance is less than about 3. According to claim 1,
wherein the transmission line is a single coaxial cable. According to claim 1,
wherein the radio frequency circuitry comprises a front end module configured to transmit an RF signal to a modal antenna, and a control circuit configured to adjust a mode of the modal antenna. According to claim 1,
further comprising a host processor, wherein the radio frequency circuitry is configured to receive data from the host processor over a first connection for transmission over an RF signal and to receive a control command over a second connection to adjust a mode of the modal antenna. A mobile computing device configured to receive, wherein the second connection is distinct from the first connection. According to claim 1,
further comprising an additional transmission line and an additional modal antenna, the additional modal antenna comprising a driven element and a parasitic element positioned proximate the driven element, the additional modal antenna being operable in a plurality of different modes; , each mode is associated with a different radiation pattern, and wherein the radio frequency circuitry is configured to transmit an additional RF signal to the additional modal antenna via the additional transmission line, and to adjust the mode of the additional modal antenna. device. According to claim 1,
a tuning circuit configured to control an electrical characteristic associated with a parasitic element of the modal antenna to operate the modal antenna in a plurality of different modes;
the radio frequency circuit includes a control circuit configured to modulate the control signal into an RF signal to generate a transmission signal for communication via the transmission line to the tuning circuit;
and the tuning circuitry demodulates the control signal to enable the radio frequency circuitry to tune the mode of the modal antenna via the control signal. 16. The method of claim 15,
a further modal antenna comprising a driven element and a parasitic element positioned proximate to the driven element, the further modal antenna being operable in a plurality of different modes, each mode associated with a different radiation pattern;
additional tuning circuitry for controlling electrical characteristics associated with parasitic elements of the additional modal antenna to operate the additional modal antenna in a plurality of different modes; and
Additional transmission lines connecting radio frequency circuits to said additional modal antennas
further comprising,
the control circuitry of the radio frequency circuit modulates the additional control signal into the additional RF signal to generate an additional transmission signal for communicating via the additional transmission line to the additional tuning circuit;
and the additional tuning circuitry is configured to demodulate the additional control signal such that the radio frequency circuitry can tune the mode of the additional modal antenna via the additional control signal. According to claim 1,
and the radio frequency circuitry comprises a front end module configured to modulate the control signal to an RF signal using amplitude-shift keying modulation. As a laptop computer,
no hinges;
a body pivotally coupled to the hinge member;
a display screen support member pivotally coupled to the hinge member;
radio frequency circuit;
A modal antenna coupled to a hinge member, the modal antenna comprising a driven element and a parasitic element positioned proximate the driven element, the modal antenna being operable in a plurality of different modes, each mode comprising: associated with different radiation patterns; and
Transmission line connecting the radio frequency circuit to the modal antenna
includes,
and the radio frequency circuitry is configured to transmit an RF signal via a transmission line to the modal antenna. 19. The method of claim 18,
and the radio frequency circuitry is configured to modulate the control signal into an RF signal to generate a transmission signal for communication over a transmission line to adjust a mode of the modal antenna via the control signal. A hinge member for a laptop configured to pivotally couple a body member and a display screen support member of the laptop, the hinge member comprising:
elongated member;
a first modal antenna coupled to the elongated member, the first modal antenna comprising a driven element and a parasitic element positioned proximate to the driven element, the first modal antenna being configured to operate in a plurality of different modes operable, each mode associated with a different radiation pattern; and
a second modal antenna coupled to the elongated member, the second modal antenna comprising a driven element and a parasitic element positioned proximate the driven element, the second modal antenna being configured to operate in a plurality of different modes operable, each mode associated with a different radiation pattern;
includes,
The hinge member for a laptop, characterized in that the first modal antenna is spaced apart from the second modal antenna.

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